A federal judge on Monday blocked another effort by President Donald Trump‘s administration to keep international students from attending Harvard University.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a preliminary injunction that extends a temporary order she issued earlier this month preventing the administration from enforcing a proclamation Trump signed on June 4 blocking foreign students from entering the United States to attend Harvard.
Harvard challenged Trump’s legal justification for the proclamation—a federal law allowing him to block a “class of aliens” that were thought to be detrimental to the nation’s interests. But Harvard argued that targeting only those who are coming to the U.S. to study at Harvard did not qualify as a “class of aliens.”
Newsweek has contacted Harvard, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.
Why It Matters
Trump and his administration have tried several tactics to block Harvard’s enrollment of international students as part of a campaign to seek changes at the private Ivy League university. The feud escalated after the university openly defied demands to overhaul Harvard policies around campus protests, admissions, hiring and other issues.
What To Know
In her order on Monday, Burroughs, who was nominated in 2014 by former President Barack Obama, wrote that “at its root, this case is about core constitutional rights that must be safeguarded: freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of speech, each of which is a pillar of a functioning democracy and an essential hedge against authoritarianism.”
She wrote: “Here, the government’s misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution and squelch diverse viewpoints seemingly because they are, in some instances, opposed to this Administration’s own views, threaten these rights.
“To make matters worse, the government attempts to accomplish this, at least in part, on the backs of international students, with little thought to the consequences to them or, ultimately, to our own citizens.”
Harvard had sued DHS in May after the agency withdrew the school’s certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork for their visas, which would have forced Harvard’s roughly 7,000 foreign students to transfer or risk being in the U.S. illegally. Burroughs temporarily halted the action shortly after Harvard sued and then granted an injunction on Friday.
The Trump administration has also cut more than $2.6 billion in research grants, ended federal contracts and threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. The university filed a separate lawsuit to block the cuts in April.
What People Are Saying
Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement responding to Trump’s proclamation earlier in June: “Singling out our institution for its enrollment of international students and its collaboration with other educational institutions around the world is yet another illegal step taken by the Administration to retaliate against Harvard.”
Garber added that international students and scholars “make outstanding contributions inside and outside of our classrooms and laboratories, fulfilling our mission of excellence in countless ways. We will celebrate them, support them, and defend their interests as we continue to assert our Constitutional rights.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday: “Many people have been asking what is going on with Harvard University and their largescale improprieties that we have been addressing, looking for a solution. We have been working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so.”
He added: “They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right. If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be ‘mindbogglingly’ HISTORIC, and very good for our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in an op-ed published in The Washington Post on Monday that “every institution authorized to enroll international students has a legal obligation to comply with federal oversight and a moral obligation to provide basic safety for its American and foreign students of all stripes. Harvard failed on both accounts.”
She added that if Harvard wants to maintain its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, it “must provide DHS with all of the requested documentation, adhere to the program’s requirements, and refrain from collaboration with hostile foreign actors. Should it again fail to comply, the university will no longer be permitted to enroll new foreign students.”
What’s Next
Burroughs’ order allows foreign students to continue to travel to the U.S. to study at Harvard while the case is decided.
Trump said on Friday his administration has been negotiating with Harvard leadership and a deal with the university could be announced in the coming days.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
The post Donald Trump Hit With Major Legal Blow in Harvard Fight appeared first on Newsweek.
